Mehmed Ali

Mehmed Ali (Muhammad Ali Pasha), the Ottoman governor of Egypt who ruled from 1805 to 1848, known for his military reforms, modernization efforts, and expansionist campaigns including the invasion of Syria. He built a powerful army recruiting from Sudanese slaves and other sources, and sought to modernize Egypt along European and Ottoman models.

Claims that use this term

• Mehmed Ali repurposed assembled troops toward Acre when Ottoman requests lapsed
• Mehmed Ali cited Ottoman neglect as his justification for invading Syria
• Mehmed Ali first looked to Sudanese slaves rather than Egyptian peasants for his army
• Husrev Pasha already trained mamluk troops along French lines before Mehmed Ali
• Mehmed Ali preferred Sultan Selim’s army model over Napoleon’s for organizing his forces
• Mehmed Ali borrowed from the Ottomans as much as from the French